Motel Name Suppression - Updated

I see that the Human Rights Commission is prosecuting the Sensible Sentencing Trust for allegedly breaching name suppression orders of a convicted paedophile.

There is an obvious irony that the government funded Human Rights Commission, a hand-wringing adjunct that seeks justice for members of the public with hurt feelings, is spending public money on defending the "rights" of an upset convicted paedophile.

While it seems murky if the courts granted permanent name suppression or not, it is interesting what details we can find while sitting in a darkened room, in front of a glowing computer screen.

While the Sensible Sentencing Trust is talking tough (see their media release below), they have appeared to have reacted to legal threats by removing all details of the published convicted paedophile on their website and have altered their original media release (see below).

While the Sensible Sentencing Trust and online mainstream media may have played ball by removing the name of the convicted paedophile, Google cached pages are still available if you know where to look....

Or you can simply buy this week's Truth newspaper where the convicted paedophile's name and the motel he is allegedly running in Taupo is published for all to see...

Sensible Sentencing Trust in David and Goliath fight for life 
6th April 2013

The Sensible Sentencing Trust is once again going into battle with a far bigger adversary – the Crown.

The taxpayer funded Office of Human Rights Proceedings is prosecuting the Trust for allegedly breaching name suppression orders of a convicted paedophile. 

(Name withheld) was convicted of numerous indecent assault charges against young girls and was listed on the Trusts sex offenders database.

Mr (Name withheld)'s lawyers wrote to the Trust stating their client had name suppression but could not produce any evidence; the case has ultimately ended up in the Office of Human Rights Proceedings who has also failed to produce any evidence of name suppression.

Sensible Sentencing Trust Spokesman, Garth McVicar said the case was shaping up to be a David and Goliath battle of "gigantic proportions".

"On one hand we have a fledgling voluntary organization fighting for the rights of victims and on the other we have the enormous resources of the Crown fighting to protect the so called 'rights' of a convicted paedophile."

"We have a minute from the Court saying There is no record of a final name suppression Order being made, yet the Office of Human Rights Proceedings is prepared to spend taxpayer dollars to fight us solely on the strength of Mr (Name withheld)’s claim he has one – yet all available evidence suggests he does not."

Mr McVicar said that the SST was once again having to go into battle for victims. "We did it in the Sue Couch case where the Crown spent hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars on Court and legal costs and ultimately made an out-of-Court settlement."

"The Crown is very good at defending the rights of criminals at the expense of law abiding citizens and seems to be prepared to spend vast sums of taxpayers’ money to do so."

"This battle is about the safety and protection of our children and the rights of citizens to know who is living in our communities free from the fear of some unnamed sexual predator or violent offender."

"Its no wonder New Zealand has a shocking level of child abuse when taxpayer money is being squandered defending the so called 'rights' of a convicted paedophile."

"We believe children deserve better – they are unable to defend themselves – and we are prepared to vigorously defend the right to access information about predators."

“Let the battle begin."

Regards,

Garth McVicar
National Spokesperson,
Sensible Sentencing Trust.

UPDATE 14/04/13

"The Sunday Star-Times is following Truth again, this time over the dirty pedophile running a Taupo motel that is described as “ the perfect choice for the whole family”.

We spoke to the pedophile earlier in the week so it is good to see Sunday Star-Times reporters buying Truth so they can follow up. We named the pedophile, we published his photo and we named his place of work.

Meanwhile the Sunday Star-Times does add a tiny bit more to the story, it appears he has lied to the Privacy Commission and the Human Rights Commission."

Source: Whaleoil